Method of making a slide fastener installation

ABSTRACT

A slide fastener installation is disclosed in which the trains of coupling elements are adhesively mounted on the article into which the slide fastener is to be installed without the use of mounting tapes. In making this installation, the interlocked trains of elements are mounted on the fabric before a slit is made in the fabric to provide an opening to be closed by the slide fastener.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a divisional application of pending patent application Ser. No.737,161 filed Oct. 29, 1976, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,538.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in slide fastener installations in generaland in particular to the mechanism of attaching the coupling elements tothe fabric of the garment.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The prior art is generally cognizant of slide fasteners in which thecoupling elements are attached to the garment fabric without the use ofmounting tapes. Examples of patents which disclose such slide fastenersare U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,858,592; 3,490,111 and 3,600,767. The prior artalso includes examples of slide fastener installations in which themounting tapes of the slide fastener are adhesively secured to thefabric of the garment. One example of such prior art is U.S. Pat. No.3,561,073.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is summarized in that a slide fastenerinstallation includes a single unitary sheet of fabric having a slitformed partway therethrough, two trains of slide fastener couplingelements each mounted on the sheet of fabric adjacent an edge of theslit therein, a slider entrained on the trains for engaging anddisengaging the coupling elements of the trains, and a layer of adhesivematerial bonding the respective coupling elements of the trains to thesheet of fabric.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a slide fastenerinstallation in which the coupling elements are mounted adhesivelydirectly on the fabric of the garment without the need for interveningmounting tapes.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method ofmaking such a slide fastener installation.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such aslide fastener installation that is economical yet durable and a methodfor making it that is both relatively easy and also economical.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a slide fastener installation constructedaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear plan view of the slide fastener installation of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section along the line 3--3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a step in the method of making the slidefastener installation of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a subsequent step in the method of making the slide fastenerinstallation of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a slide fastener installation, generallyindicated at 10, constructed according to the present invention. Theslide fastener installation 10 is installed in a single unitary sheet offabric 12, which may be of any suitable woven, non-woven, natural orsynthetic fabric type, but is preferably formed of a knitted material. Aslit 14 is formed partway through the sheet of fabric 12 with the fabric12 being divided into two fabric portions 16 and 18 by the slit 14. Apair of continuous trains 20 and 22 of slide fastener elements aremounted on the respective edges of each of the fabric sections 16 and 18adjacent the slit 14. An end portion 23 of the trains 20 and 22 extendsonto the sheet of fabric 12 beyond the slit 14. Mounted onto both of thetrains 20 and 22 is a slider 25 which is movable up and down the trains20 and 22 and which has a pull tab 27 secured thereto.

As can best be seen in the cross-section of FIG. 3, each of the trains20 and 22 includes a plurality of generally identical molded,thermoplastic slide fastener coupling elements 24. The coupling elements24 of each of the trains 20 and 22 are joined together by two pairs ofcontinuous coupling threads 26 and 28. Each of the coupling elements 24is formed in a generally arched horseshoe shape forming two parallellegs, a lower leg 30 and an upper leg 32. The outsides surfaces of eachof the legs 30 and 32 are formed so as to be generally flattened andplanar. The lower and upper legs 30 and 32 of each of the couplingelements 24 are joined together by a head portion 34 each of which haslocking protrustions formed on either side of it to interlock with theprotrusions on the head portion 34 of the coupling elements 24 of theother of the trains. The pairs of coupling threads 26 and 28 are eachreceived through a one of the legs 30 and 32 on each of the couplingelements 24 in each train with the pair of coupling threads 26 extendingthrough the lower leg 30 while the pair of coupling threads 28 extendsthrough the upper leg 32. The lower and upper legs 30 and 32 of eachcoupling element 24 may be fused together at their extreme end oppositefrom the head portion 34. The coupling elements 24 of each of the trains20 and 22 are secured to the edge of the respective fabric section 16 or18 by a layer of adhesive material 36. The layer of adhesive 36 isdisposed in contact with the face of the edge of the respective fabricsection 16 or 18 and also the lower surface of the lower leg 30 of eachof the coupling elements 24 of each train. The layer of adhesive 36 maybe formed of any suitable type of adhesive suitable with the material ofthe sheet of fabric 12 and the coupling elements 24, but is preferablyof the heatactivated or "iron-on" type of adhesive. One such suitableadhesive is Bostich Iron-on Adhesive #7091.

The slide fastener installation 10 of FIGS. 1-3 is operated in aconventional manner by pulling on the pull tab 27 of the slider 25. Theslider 26 moves up and down the trains 20 and 22 to respectively engageand disengage the coupling elements 24 of the two trains.

The method of making the slide fastener installation of FIGS. 1-3 isbest understood by referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings. Thetrains 20 and 22 are fabricated separately and the interlocked and aresupplied to the point of manufacture in this interlocked configurationas shown in FIG. 4. An applicator, such as the sprayer nozzle 38 shownin FIG. 4, then deposits the layer of adhesive upon the lower surfacesof the lower legs 30 of the coupling elements 24 of the interlockedtrains 20 and 22. The applicator could be a brush or roller or othertype of contact applicator if a sprayer is not suitable for theparticular adhesive to be used. The trains 20 and 22 are then broughtinto contact with the sheet of fabric 12 in the area in which the slidefastener installation 10 is desired. The layer of adhesive 36 is thenfixed or activated, if the adhesive requires such activation, by theparticular activating medium suitable for the adhesive. Using aheat-activated sort of adhesive for the layer 36, the sheet of fabric 12and the trains 20 and 22 would be heated in this step, as for example byironing or heat pressing. Once the adhesive has set and dried, a cuttingblade 40 of any suitable character is slowly brought or drawn throughthe fabric along a line extending centrally along the trains 20 and 22beginning at an upper end thereof to form the slit 14 between the trains20 and 22. During the drawing of the blade 40, the coupling elements 24of each of the trains are slowly disengaged. If practical, it could bearranged for the blade 40 to be short enough only to pierce the sheet offabric 12, without scarring the coupling elements 24 of the trains 20and 22, but as would more likely be the normal case a longer blade 40,such as shown in FIG. 5, can be used if lateral force is exerted on thetwo fabric sections 16 and 18 to pull the trains 20 and 22 apart. Thecutting of the blade 40 creates the slit 14 and separates the fabricsections 16 and 18. The blade 40 is not brought to the extreme end ofthe trains 20 and 22, however, but instead the cutting is terminatedsome distance short of such end to leave the end portion 23 intact. Theend portion 23 serves a dual role, to limit the travel of the slider 25so that it cannot be pulled entirely off the trains 20 and 22 and tolimit any tearing, as might otherwise occur, in the sheet of fabric 12which would extend the slit 14 beyond what was desired. The slider 25with the pull tab 27 is then mounted on the trains 20 and 22 to completethe slide fastener installation 10.

The advantages of the slide fastener installation of the presentinvention and the method for making it are numerous. Firstly it doesaway with the mounting tapes used in conventional slide fastenerinstallations thereby obviating the problems of matching colors,textures, and types of fabric as normally crop up in slide fastenerinstallations. The slide fastener installation thus formed is economicalyet still sturdy and secure. Such installations are particularly suitedfor clothing used in spark-free or dust-free environments where theoverclothing typically used is often of an economical, disposablenature. Probably the greatest advantage, however, is in the ease ofinstallation, i.e. the ease with which the slide fastener installationcan be made. By applying the trains 20 and 22 to the fabric before theslit 14 is formed, all problems of alignment and/or spacing areeliminated. The fastener elements do not have to be carefully alignedrelative to a gap that must be closed; rather the opening in the garmentthat the slide fastener is to close is formed after the fastener isinstalled. Thus the garment would be made without any openings for theslide fastener installation but the opening is created after theelements of the slide fastener are installed. It is much easier to slita sheet of fabric along a line determined by the replacement of theslide fastener elements than it is to install those elements in theirproper alignment with each other along the sides of a slit alreadyformed. Thus both the method and the product of the present inventionoffer significant adavantages over previously known slide fastenerinstallations.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations,modifications, and changes in detail, it is intended that all thesubject matter in the foregoing specification or in the accompanyngdrawings be interpreted as illustrative, rather than in a limitingsense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of making a slide fastener installationcomprising the steps offorming an interlocked pair of trains of slidefastener elements, bonding one side of leg portions of the interlockedpair of trains of slide fastener elements to one side of a singleunitary sheet of fabric, cutting the fabric along a line extendingcentrally along the bonded trains of slide fastener elements beginningat one end of the trains of interlocked slide fastener elements andterminating at a point spaced from the opposite end of the trains ofslide fastener elements to form a slit in the sheet of fabric betweenupper portions of the trains of slide fastener elements and to define alower portion of the pairs of trains of slide fastener elements whichare interlocked with each other and which are bonded to an uncut portionof the sheet of fabric to form an end stop for the slider, andentraining a slider on the trains of slide fastener elements to slidablymove thereon to engage and disengage the coupling elements thereof.
 2. Amethod of making a slide fastener installation as claimed in claim 1wherein the bonding step includes the steps ofapplying a layer ofadhesive to one side of the interlocked pair of trains of slide fastenerelements, and positioning the interlocked pair of trains on a singleunitary sheet of fabric so that they adhere thereto.
 3. A method ofmaking a slide fastener as claimed in claim 2 wherein the bonding stepfurther includes the step of fixing the adhesive by applying heatthereto.
 4. A method of making a slide fastener installation having apair of trains of slide fastener coupling elements and a slider toengage and disengage the trains of slide fastener coupling elementswhich are made of molded thermoplastic material comprising the stepsofforming a pair of trains of slide fastener coupling elements of moldedthermoplastic material, interlocking the pair of trains of slidefastener coupling elements, bonding the interlocked pair of trains ofslide fastener coupling elements to a single unitary sheet of fabric,said bonding step including in sequencea first adhesive step wherein alayer of adhesive is applied to one side of the interlocked pair oftrains of slide fastener coupling elements, a second step wherein theinterlocked pair of trains of slide fastener coupling elements arepositioned on the single unitary sheet of fabric, and a third stepwherein the interlocked pair of trains of slide fastener couplingelements are adhered to the single unitary sheet of fabric, cutting thesingle unitary sheet of fabric along a line extending centrally alongthe bonded trains of slide fastener coupling elements beginning at oneend of the trains of interlocked slide fastener coupling elements toform a slit in the sheet of fabric between upper portions of the trainsof slide fastener coupling elements, terminating the cutting step at apoint before reaching the opposite end of the trains of slide fastenercouping elements to form a lower end portion of interlocked slidefastener coupling elements bonded to an uncut portion of the sheet offabric to prevent tearing of the single unitary sheet of fabric and todefine an end stop for the slider, and entraining the slider on thetrains of slide fastener coupling elements to slidably move thereon andengage and disengage the coupling elements.
 5. The invention as recitedin claim 4 wherein the adhesive comprises a heat-activated material andwherein the third step of said bonding step comprises applying heat tosaid heat-activated material.
 6. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 4wherein the cutting step includes the step of drawing a cutting bladethrough the fabric from the one end of the trains of slide fastenercoupling elements to the terminating point.
 7. A method as claimed inclaim 6 wherein the coupling elements of upper portions of the trainsare disengaged during the drawing step.